Participants additionally had been asked whether or not they had ever involved in many different tasks associated with lesbian, homosexual

Fundamental Demographic Traits and Other Background Factors

Information regarding respondents’ age, ethnicity and race, residence, location, and home structure was in fact regularly gathered by Knowledge Networks in previous questionnaires. The current study included a concern asking perhaps the respondent ended up being presently on active military responsibility, a part associated with army Reserves or National Guard, or even a armed forces veteran.

Intimate Orientation Identification

As noted previously, all participants had reported they certainly were homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual on a previously administered KN questionnaire. The current study started by having a screening question that asked respondents “Which for the following most useful defines your intimate orientation?” and provided five choices arrayed on a continuum from homosexual to heterosexual. The options were (a) gay or homosexual; (b) bisexual, mostly attracted to men; (c) bisexual, equally attracted to men and women; (d) bisexual, mostly attracted to women; (e) heterosexual or straight for male respondents. For females, the response that is first ended up being lesbian, homosexual, or homosexual, and choices (b) and (d) had been transposed.

Participants were expected how old they are once they first knew about their intimate orientation (“How old were you when you initially knew or decided you’re gay/lesbian/bisexual?”) and once they first disclosed it to a different individual (“How old were you the first occasion you told another person you are gay/lesbian/bisexual?”). These were later expected whether their mum or dad knew about their intimate orientation and, if applicable, just how many of these siblings and brothers knew about this. In addition, utilizing a scale that ranged from 0 ( perhaps not at all off to any one of them) to 7 (entirely off to them all), participants reported the level to that they had been “out of this cabinet (openly L/G/B/Q/H)” to six extra teams: (1) “other relatives perhaps perhaps maybe not your instant family members,” (2) “your current heterosexual (‘straight’) friends,” (3) “your casual acquaintances who will be heterosexual (‘straight’),” (4) “heterosexual (‘straight’) buddies that you knew you work with on a daily basis (other than your boss or supervisors) before you came out,” (5) “your boss and other supervisors at work,” and (6) “the people.” A “doesn’t apply to me” response choice ended up being included for every single team.

Respondents additionally had been expected whether or not they had ever involved with many different tasks associated with lesbian, gay, or bisexual problems, including general general public expressions of viewpoint (“Wore a key, posted an indication, or displayed a bumper sticker”); taking part in a rally, march, or demonstration; calling a federal government official; and adding money up to a lesbian, gay, or bisexual company or cause. For contrast purposes, this number of concerns was followed closely by a synchronous group of things that asked if the respondent had participated in identical activities for “a non gay problem or cause that is, something maybe not associated mainly to homosexual men, lesbians, or bisexuals.”

Political and involvement that is religious

Information regarding participants’ political party affiliation and ideology (liberal, moderate, conservative) was indeed previously gathered by Knowledge Networks. When it comes to present research, participants had been expected if they had voted into the latest (2004) presidential election and, if that’s the case, which is why candidate. These people were additionally expected for information on their spiritual denomination, regularity of attendance at spiritual solutions throughout the past year, just how guidance that is much provides within their time to time living, and (for participants whom reported affiliation by having a religious denomination and any attendance at spiritual services) the level to which their congregation includes lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.

Relationships, Marriage, and Family

Participants were expected their present relationship status, their legal marital status, and just how many young ones they usually have (including used kids and stepchildren). Participants presently in a relationship (including people who had been hitched) had been expected the sex of the partner. People who were in a relationship not hitched had been expected they would marry their partner if their state were to allow same sex marriages (this conditional clause was omitted for respondents in Massachusetts, the only state where marrying a same sex partner was legal at the time of data collection) whether they were cohabiting and the likelihood. People who weren’t presently in a relationship had been expected if they would someday like to marry.